NYC Health Commissioner: Limiting Soda Size Is The Right Way To Protect The Health Of New Yorkers

When more than 650,000 residents of a city suffer from a preventable disease—in this case Type 2 diabetes—the city’s public health authorities have an obligation to act to protect the people of the city. That’s the reason New York City’s Board of Health took action to restrict the sale of super-sized sodas. And it’s the central argument city officials are making today at an appeals court hearing on the proposed restriction—and in a guest column on the blog of PI’s Rob Waters.

Last year, after weighing the evidence and holding hearings, the city’s Board of Health voted unanimously to limit the size of sugary beverages sold for immediate consumption to 16 ounces. In March of this year, one day before the measure was scheduled to take effect, Justice Milton Tingling sided with the beverage industry and overturned the regulation. His action frustrated health advocates working to stem the tide of diabetes and other chronic diseases. Thirty of those groups, including Prevention Institute, submitted an amicus brief in support of the appeal filed by New York City.

Today, New York City appeals the injunction before a state appeals court. In a guest blog at Forbes.com, Thomas A. Farley, commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, makes the case for limiting the size of sugary drinks sold in many New York City establishments. We invite you to read the full piece here, and show your support for similar policies that advance health and prevention by sharing it on Facebook and Twitter.

Judge's Ruling on New York Soda Cap: A Supersized Flop with Four Big Flaws

In a post on Nation of Change, PI's Will Haar and Rob Waters analyzed the flaws in the ruling that blocked New York City's sugar-sweetened beverage cap.

Tobacco. Leaded paint. Junk food. Sugar-laced soda. Seems like every time people try to pass laws to protect families and children from unhealthy products, a PR effort is unleashed by the makers of those products and their allies. Read our piece at Forbes.com.